A scene that played out in the Washington state legislature was fit for a Clint Eastwood movie. Last week, a group of angry citizens showed up in the House gallery openly waving pistols and high powered rifles as they looked down upon the debating chamber below.

They came packing heat to protest a new state law approved by voter referendum mandating background checks for gun buyers. The protesters waved their weapons like political placards, which are banned in the gallery, as they indulged in the fact that there was no comparable ban on citizens brandishing their legally licensed guns.
Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, a Democrat, recognized intimidation when he saw it and quickly issued a ban on open-carry visitations to the Senate, where he presides. “I don’t want the people who are on the floor being fearful of doing their job,” Mr. Owen explained, imagining that an elected official might indeed be swayed by someone slapping leather in the gallery.

The Democratic controlled House soon followed suit, banning open carry by citizens when they come to eye lawmakers up close. Gun rights advocates were apoplectic, blaming “a few stupid extremists on our side” for the rebuff. Not all was lost in their cause. Citizens can still attend proceedings with their loaded guns but must keep them concealed. Placards and umbrellas, to be sure, remain prohibited dangers, as do bursts of gallery applause or boos aimed at lawmakers trying to work in peace below.